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south america: galapagos

Corals - North-Central Galapagos Islands 5 day/4 night

The 5-day Corals North-Central Islands Galapagos Cruise visits a wide variety of the archipelago's islands, including Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Santiago, as well as their smaller neighbors like Bartolome, Rabida and Mosquera. Barltolome, off Santiago Island, offers spectacular views and interesting geology such as Pinnacle Rock, as well as great snorkeling opportunities off a golden beach with penguins and sea lions. Port Egas offers a walk to view sea birds and migratory birds along with sea lions and fur seals. Cerro Brujo on San Cristobal offers beautiful landscapes and views of towering Kicker Rock.

The Corals North-Central Islands Cruise can be combined with the South-East or Western Islands Cruise to create an 8-day/7-night itinerary. View the North-Central Islands Cruise details below or click on the links to view details of other Corals Galapagos cruises.

Central Galapagos Islands 4 days/3 nights

Western Galapagos Islands 5 days/4 nights

South-East Galapagos Islands 4 days/3 nights

Coral I & Coral II Galapagos Cruise Main Page

Day 1 - WED - San Cristobal & Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve

Arrive to San Cristobal Island, transfer by bus to board the Coral I or II. Receive a warm welcome and introductory briefing from the crew and enjoy a delicious lunch. Spend the afternoon at the Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve (a 45-minute bus ride) to learn about the National Park’s conservation programs. You will also have the opportunity to visit the port village, have a drink or shop for arts and crafts and other souvenirs.

Accommodations: Coral I or Coral II
Included Meals: lunch and dinner

Day 2 - THU - Cerro Brujo & Pitt Point

Spend the morning at Witch Hill “Cerro Brujo” on San Cristobal Island. Cerro Brujo is an eroding tuff cone that forms cliffs where seabirds are often seen nesting. It looks over a beautiful white sand beach where you can spot sea lions, pelican, blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas and spend time snorkeling and swimming. Cerro Brujo offers beautiful views of Kicker Rock, the southern part of San Cristobal and the adjacent coast.

After lunch, head to Pitt Point, a rocky reef that sticks up about 3 feet. A high-intensity hike follows a trail that includes an olivine beach of 90 meters long and a path that climbs to the top of a volcanic tuff, through several magnificent viewpoints. This is probably the only site where the three booby species of the Galapagos can be seen together: Nazca, blue-footed and red-footed; as well as two species of frigate birds and a sea lion colony. It is also an excellent location for dinghy rides and snorkeling.

Accommodations: Coral I or Coral II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 - FRI - Mosquera Islet & Bartolome

Begin today at Mosquera Islet, located between North Seymour and Baltra Islands. This flat, sandy island has a large colony of sea lions. It is also an excellent site for observing shorebirds such as herons and lava gulls. There is no trail on Mosquera Island, so any visitor can enjoy the open area. Most of the islet is covered with sand and barren lava rock. Very little sesuvium portulacastrum grows on the sand.

After lunch enjoy the fascinating moonscape of Bartolome Island, formed by different volcanic parasitic cones —lava bombs, spatter, cinder cones. Hike to the summit for impressive views of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone Pinnacle Rock. Encounter marine iguanas and lava lizards. Beach time here is a great opportunity to snorkel and see (perhaps swim with) Galapagos penguin, sea turtles and white-tipped reef shark, among a great variety of colorful fish. For many visitors, this may turn out to be the best of snorkeling experiences; the water here is generally clear, without too much surf and full of marine life. Due to its geographical location, the lack of vegetation is immediately noticeable. Pioneer plants are observed, so called because they are the first to establish roots on new ground. They include the endemic Tiquilia nesiotica and Chamaesyce (known as sand mat or spurge in English), lava cactus and Scalesia bushes. Behind the beach are dunes covered by mangroves.

Accommodations: Coral I or Coral II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - SAT - Rabida & Egas Port

Dark-red sand covers these unique beaches with incredible landscape; Rábida is considered the epicenter of the Galapagos Islands due to the diversity of its volcanic geology. Nesting brown pelicans are found from July through September and nine species of the famous Darwin’s finches can be seen. Take a dinghy ride along cliffs to observe nesting seabirds, and snorkel off the coast, where marine life is particularly active.

This afternoon make a wet landing on a beach of black volcanic sand at Santiago Island's Egas Port, visited by Darwin in 1835. The first part of the trail is comprised of volcanic ash (eroded tuff) and the other half of the trail is partially uneven terrain, comprised of volcanic basaltic rock that lounges the shoreline. The unique, truly striking layered terrain of Santiago’s shores is home to a variety of resident and migrant birds, including the bizarre yellow-crowned night heron and astounding array of marine wildlife including lobster, starfish and marine iguanas grazing on algae beds alongside Sally lightfoot crabs. Colonies of endemic fur seals swimming in cool water pools formed by volcanic rocks. Snorkeling here offers rarities such as octopus or squid.

Accommodations: Coral I or Coral II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5 - SUN - El Chato to Baltra

Make a dry landing on Santa Cruz Island. Reach the Santa Cruz Highlands and visit a private farm, Primicias (El Chato), where giant tortoises are found in their natural habitat. The road to the reserve is one of the best places to observe land birds. Tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers and cattle egrets inhabit the area. Say farewell to your fellow travelers and transfer to the Baltra Airport for flights back to the mainland.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast

GALAPAGOS CRUISE INCLUSIVE PACKAGE: For your convenience we offer an Inclusive Package with three nights hotel accommodations in Quito or Guayaquil, all airport/hotel transfers, Galapagos flights, Galapagos National Park entrance fees and taxes, Galapagos migration card and your Galapagos cruise. View details of our Galapagos Cruise Inclusive Package.

Travelers not interested in our inclusive package must purchase Galapagos flights in conjunction with their Galapagos cruise.

GALAPAGOS CRUISE CUSTOM PACKAGE: If you are booking a cruise-only program our experts can assist with hotels, transfers, flights and tours. Contact AdventureSmith Explorations about customizing your tour or the possibilities of combining this trip with our Mainland Ecuador and Peru: Machu Picchu extensions. We are Galapagos cruise and Ecuador travel experts and our staff can help you customize the perfect Galapagos cruise or Ecuador tour package.

Itinerary Notes: Use the itinerary as a guide only. Itinerary may be altered due to weather, wildlife, National Park regulation or at the captain's discretion. The ability to be flexible makes this type of Galapagos cruising unique.

Included: Double accommodation in cabins with air conditioning, private facilities, meals scheduled on board, welcome and farewell cocktails, water, 24-hour tea/coffee station, two daily visits to Galapagos Islands with multilingual (English/Spanish) naturalist guide, snorkeling (gear included) and kayaking opportunities, briefings/lectures and activities on board, baggage handling, transfers and dinghy rides to/from ports, shuttle service in Quito and Guayaquil to/from designated hotels to select Galapagos flights, and airport check-in assistance.

Exclusions: International airfare; airfare from mainland Ecuador; Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee (US $100 per adult, $50 for children under 12 years old. This can be paid directly by passengers [cash only] or it is included in our INCLUSIVE PACKAGE TOURS); Galapagos National Institute Migration Control Card (US $10 per person); departure tax ($40.80); gratuities for guides, crew, drivers or local staff; alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages; other personal expenses; medical services or insurance of any kind. 2013 cruise fuel surcharge is an additional $90 (4-5 Day), $180 (8-12 Day) or $360 (15 Day) per person.

Wet suit rental available for US $25 per person per each 4-5 day cruise, $50 for longer cruises. Kayak rental $30 per person. Internet available at extra cost.

Room Configurations: The Corals offer limited single occupancy cabins at a 50% supplement (75% during 2013 holidays). 50% discount for the third guest sharing the cabin with 2 full-fare paying guests, Junior and higher cabin categories only. Double shared accommodation under request. For entended cruises (10+ nights) aboard the Coral yachts, passengers may be required to change yachts in the middle of the cruise.

Families & Children: Children under 12 years old at the time of sailing receive 25% off when sharing the cabin with an adult, or a 50% discount if sharing a cabin with two full-fare paying guests. Junior and higher cabin categories only. Minimum child age is 7 years old. Kids will enjoy different activities offered on board like stargazing, a special kids menu, a visit to the bridge to meet the Captain, T-shirt dye, Wii, handcrafts and much more. There are special family departure dates when more children will be on board.

Arrival & Departure: Most flights to the Galapagos will depart Quito or Guayaquil between 7:00am-9:00am on day 1 and return between 2:00pm-5:00pm on the final day. We highly recommend travelers arrive Ecuador 2 days prior to their Galapagos cruise.

Payment & Cancellation: A cruise deposit of $700 per person is required at the time of booking. For land packages a deposit of $300 per person is required at the time of booking. A Reservation Form, which includes a release of liability, must be completed and signed by all travelers. The balance of the trip price is due 90 days before the departure date. Guests who must cancel their trip for any reason must do so in writing. Cancellations are subject to the following per-person fees, based on number of days prior to departure:
Up to 121 days - no penalty
120 to 61 days - $300 fee
60 to 0 days - 100% of total trip cost

Terms & Conditions: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with travel insurance. Please note that you must purchase your travel insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Click the link below for a selection of policies from our partners at Travelex.


Activities: Daily hikes/walks range from 1 to 2.5 hours, over sometimes rocky or muddy terrain (depeding on season). Snorkeling is available most days. The underwater snorkeling experience is an integral part of any Galapagos cruise. We encourage all travelers to try snorkeling. Snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, fins, floating vest and net bag) is available for the duration of the cruise. Shortie wet suits are also available for rent and are recommended from June to December. Kayaks are available to rent.

Qualifications: The 5-day Corals North-Central Galapagos Cruise will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life. Daily excursions from the boat to the islands will be made in pangas (dinghies). Trip members will hike from the landing point to specific areas for wildlife observation. Hiking time for most landings will be a couple of hours round trip with lots of time to stop to study, photograph and enjoy the flora and fauna. Some landings are dry but many are "wet," requiring cautious footing on slippery rocks. The boat staff will be on hand to assist.

For additional information and reservations, please contact us:

800-728-2875 | 530-583-1775 | fax 530-583-1711 | travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com